About the show

Step right up and take a peek under the Big Top at the lives of a few unique people. Flights of Fantasy East's a cappella musical is written by Lily Ali-Oshatz and Mark Galinovsky, and inspired by the real life of Myrtle Corbin, who was born a dipygus.

"The small cast weaves stirring harmonies with the finesse of a professional a capella group. Yet, this choice occasionally backfires, leaving periods of dead air onstage…Ali-Oshatz’s plot touches on some complex issues which beg for deeper exploration...I’d love to see an extended version of the piece...Nonetheless, 'Four-Legged Woman' offers us a tantalizing peek behind the big-top’s curtains, revealing the darkness underneath each spectacle and the humanity in every 'freak.'"
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"Evans plays the titular character with charming effortlessness and has a crisp, chill-inducing voice. Wall’s direction is inventive and offers just the right balance of reality and magic...Raises questions about fetishism, gender fluidity, self-acceptance, and fear. This show is a brave and touching exploration of humanity and the courage it takes to fall in love...This ensemble and direction team deserve no less than the applause and admiration their characters surely received a century ago."
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"An intriguing side show show…All the songs are delivered a cappella, making it all the more compelling...The cast rises to the occasion generally quite ably. In the large Flamboyan space, not all words sung by all soloists were always distinguishable...This was a pity, as the words were often worthy and artful…We see, but don’t get to individually know, the individual personalities or problems or even unique physical/performance talents of some of the members of the side show."
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"It’s the timeless tale of boy meets four-legged girl. However, who’s the freak? Fans of 'Side Show’ and ‘American Horror Story: Freak Show’ will love this a cappella musical…Directed by Madeline Wall, the talented ensemble cast of six tell this simple story on a mostly bare stage. A string of lights represents the circus tent and a handful of props are used to navigate scene changes and new locations…Definitely catch this unique and experimental piece of art."
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"Although the show has holes in it, the way it examines what it means to be 'other' is powerful…This 55-minute musical, sung a capella in its entirety, is an impressive endeavor. There are haunting melodies that are hard to forget. The cast of five all have a strong musical sense and individual singing styles and vocal qualities…Despite the flaws, the overall concept, vision, and music are good enough to win plaudits for Ali-Oshatz’s maiden effort."
Full Review

See it if
the idea of an a capella musical written and performed by earnest theatre majors sounds appealing. You like simple, serviceable music.

Don't see it if
you're expecting something as dark and incisive as Side Show. Or if you don't like simple romances without much depth or conflict.

Also
I really struggled with this one. Its heart is in the right place and I wanted to be supportive of the young talent on stage and on the creative team but if I'm being honest, it just wasn't that great. The story is simple and shallow and probably as bearable as it is because the show only runs about an hour long. I do still think you should go support it if you can but I would be lying to say there was some great effort here. Mary Stewart Evans who plays the title character Myrtle Corbin is the only one who comes across as a professional actress with a fully realized performance. The melodies are unremarkable and unambitious. The lyrics are mostly middling. You know when you write one lyric and then you think of an easy one-syllable rhyme and you just go with it even if it's not the most meaningful lyric? There's a lot of that. Also false rhymes and non-rhymes. The costumes were OK. The choreography was a chaotic mess. Enjoyable for an hour if you adjust your expectations.... Read moreRead less

See it if
you want to see a sweet yet edgy bit of the purest theatre, a reminder that the magic of light&shadow &the human voice are what move us most

Don't see it if
you don't like circus, sideshow or carney; musicals solely sung; layered harmonies; oddities; or can't deal with magic made from spirit.

Also
A wonderful, sweet & haunting show built with the simplest of elements that call back our childhood sense of wonder & play. Simple props & costumes, light, shadow & evocative songs accompanied only by gorgeous vocal harmonies & background vocal sound effects remind us of the possibility of theatre when laid bare.

The fully committed ensemble cast fully inhabits the world they present, and Mary Stuart Evans is terrific as the Woman in question. Lily Ali-Oshatz's book, lyrics & music (with Mark Galinovsky) are stunning and evocative, & her performance as the Ringmaster, M, completely seductive. Madeleine Walls's inventive staging and direction makes the most use of space, bodies & music, and creates an impressionistic style reminiscent of Fellini and Bergman, but totally her own. The other characters & Roustabouts add much,each having their moments, making the most of them.

This show may not be for everyone — certainly not for the calcified, but should be seen & is highly recommended.... Read moreRead less

See it if
you like catchy a capella performed by what seems to be a high school troupe, but slightly better

Don't see it if
you're looking for a fully formed story or something exciting

Also
the show doesn't pick up until 45 minutes in. Before that it is painfully slow. All of the story is in the last 15 minutes. The music is catchy but not sung terribly well. It is not bad by any stretch but not fantastic either. Intriguing and solid characters but none so well fleshed out, and some fleshed out too much for no good reason. The worst performance comes from the ringleader character. Not paced well, and a story that's interesting but eventually only halfway there. Really kind of a disappointment. It's on the verge of actually being good and original and solid, but just doesn't get there. Really needs to push to be great. Needs a ton of work but they really should do that work because it's not a lost cause, it's a halfway decent concept.... Read moreRead less